Previous Kootenai Canvas: Abandoned barn

Sally Davidson of Hayden wrote the winning essay that correctly identified the last photo, which was of an abandoned barn that sits among a mix of farms and new subdivisions along Miles Avenue in Hayden.

The barn is on Miles Avenue, between Ramsey and U.S. Highway 95, in Hayden. Whenever I take my little terrier, Lilly, for a walk, we pass the barn and I get nostalgic for my childhood days. I grew up on a small farm in Southern Idaho, and barns were my playgrounds. I would open the creaky old doors wondering what mysteries were lurking inside. There might be dragons or outlaws or hidden treasures. Barns were a fantasy wonderland because you never knew what was in there. The barn was also a place to escape the heat of the day and enjoy its natural air conditioning. What a wonderful place it was. I have not been inside this particular barn, but whenever I walk by, I wish I could go in and see what wonders and mysteries it contains. The door used to be closed and it always beckoned me. Now the doors are open, the fence is down, and I feel sad when I walk by, as if all the dragons, outlaws and mysteries are gone. I hope the barn doesn’t go away, because it is beautiful and full of memories for some of us.